About Felis catus
Cats are the most carnivorous of the carnivores, even domesticated cats
Obligate carnivores - MUST eat meat, need certain amino acids that their bodies cannot make on its own. Ex. Taurine
If the domestic cat cannot obtain meat, it will not be able to survive
Even if you feed your cat regularly, they are still liable to kill other smaller creatures, purely on instinct
Weigh between 5-20 lbs
36.5% households have dogs VS. 30.4% having cats, but cats outnumber dogs as to how many are pets; 75 million VS 70 million
Cats are also more popular globally
Total domestic cat population (including feral) ranges from 220 - 600 million
Domestic cat - This is the term used to group Felis catus from other small felids. Inlcudes house cats, feral cats, and stray cats.
House cat - This is a domestic cat that has been socialized with humans/other pets. They can be indoor or outdoor cats, but they depend on humans for food and other resources.
Feral cat - These are 'wild' domestic cats. They have little to no human contact, and do not respond well when confronted by humans. Feral cats have difficulty being tamed, especially older feral cats.
Stray cat - Strays are cats that start out as house cats, they have been socialized to humans, but no longer are dependent on them or live with them. Over time, strays can become feral when they have less and less contact with humans.
Silent Killer
Can be found on every continent except Antarctica
Found on many islands across the world - left behind by human explorers
Very efficient hunters
All of this makes them one of the worst invasive species in the world, right behind the black rat
Kill 1.4 - 3.7 billion birds per year
Kill more than 15 billion mammals per year
Directly linked to the extinction of at least 63 species
33 of those species are birds
Many people claim the reason for them having cats as pets and allowing them to roam free is so that they can help with the rat population in their area. As this as this study, https://www.wired.com/story/rats-vs-cats/amp?__twitter_impression=true , discusses, cats don't actually help with rat populations. While they do hunt mice, they also decimate the populations of other species, especially birds.